(a) Joinder of Offenses. Two or more offenses may be charged in the same indictment, information, or complaint in a separate count for each offense if the offenses charged,The indictment, information, or complaint may charge a defendant in separate counts with two or more offenses if the offenses charged--whether felonies or misdemeanors or both,--are of the same or similar character, or are based on the same act or transaction, or on two or more acts or transactions connected together or constitutingare connected with or constitute parts of thea common scheme or plan.

(b) Joinder of Defendants. Two or more defendants may be charged in the same indictment, information, or complaintThe indictment, information, or complaint may charge two or more defendants if they are alleged to have participated in the same act or transaction, or in the same series of acts or transactions constituting one or more offenses. SuchThe defendants may be charged in one or more counts together or separately and. All of the defendants need not be charged in each count.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Rule 8 was amended, effective ___________.

Rule 8 follows Fed.R.Crim.P. 8 in substance and controls with respect to all actions involving the joinder of offenses or defendants arising in this Statestate. This Rulerule should be read in conjunction with RulesN.D.R.Crim.P. 13 and 14 (see crossreferences above) since the same underlying principles apply in each. They are designed to promote economy and efficiency and avoid multiplicity of trials in those situations in which these objectives can be reached without substantial prejudice to the rights of the defendants. The "unifying theme in this Rulerule is trial convenience (but) * * * ,even though trial convenience in criminal procedure is not a goal upon which all parties can uniformly agree". [8 Moore's Federal Practice, 8.01 (Cipes, 2d Ed. 1970).].

Subdivision (a) has been modified slightly from its Federalfederal counterpart to allow joinder of offenses in the complaint as well as the indictment and information. The test for determining the identity of offenses charged in two or more indictments or in two or more counts in a single indictment is, "Ifwhether the same evidence is required to establish several indictments or several counts,.and ifIf each indictment or count requires proof of a fact or element not required by the others, then the charges are separate". [Velasquez v. United States, 244 F.2d 416 (10th Cir. 1957).].

Subdivision (b) includes the complaint as a charging document together with the indictment and information upon which joinder of defendants is permitted. The test prescribed for joinder of defendants as well as joinder of offenses is whether each of such offenses or defendants is linked together by their participation in the common transaction or act. [United States v. Brennan, 134 F.Supp. 42 (D. Minn. 1955).]

Rule 8 was amended, effective ________. The language and organization of the rule were changed to make the rule more easily understandable and to make style and terminology consistent throughout the rules.